Spanish · Chapter 27 · Lesson 15 · Grammar primer
Verbs of becoming: ponerse, hacerse, volverse, convertirse
Spanish has no single 'to become' - ponerse for a sudden mood, volverse for a radical character change, hacerse for gradual/effortful change and professions, convertirse en for a transformation, llegar a ser for an achievement over time.
The short version
Ponerse passes, volverse sticks
There is no all-purpose 'become', so sort by the kind of change first. Ponerse is the passing mood or state, back to normal within the hour: se puso nervioso, se puso rojo. Volverse is the deep, lasting shift of character: se volvió loco, se ha vuelto muy serio. Se puso triste lifts; se ha vuelto triste does not.
Se puso rojo.
A noun after become rules out ponerse
Ponerse and volverse take adjectives only, so a profession breaks them: se puso médico is not Spanish. If a noun follows, your candidates are hacerse for effort or process, convertirse en for a real transformation, and llegar a ser for the top of a long climb. Never drop the en after convertirse.
Se hizo médico.
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